Buy books for needy children every time you smile...Amazon Smile, that is! Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to RIF of NOVA each time you make a purchase. Enter Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. as your charity. And, voila! More bucks...more books! You're probably buying stuff anyway. This way, you can support kids reading, too!

And if you are still holiday shopping...

...here are a few children's book ideas! The literary leaders of the national RIF organization have selected a few of their
favorites from 2015 to share!

Book distributions in our schools and centers this fall...

Who's Curious?

The children at
Falls Church-McLean Children’s Center, that's who! This daycare center and preschool serves low-income working families. The highlighted book of the day was The End, a story that goes backward. The children were enchanted with a story that started at -- the end!

Fall Festival of Books

Crestwood Elementary School brought these first graders together to choose books of their own. They crafted book covers and then marched in a book parade with children from other grades. Thanksgiving holiday "scented" book marks added to the fun. The children said they were thankful to be able to keep their books instead of having to turn them in to the library!

Help! My pumpkin's too big!

What do you do when your pumpkin grows too big to pull off the vine? At the ACCA Child Development Center, you act out the
Big Pumpkin for eager children! Then you make puppets from the story and create a vine of your own: "Pumpkin Vines with RIF." Family members and teachers helped with the reading, and the children and parents took home their own books to read and share!

Lions and Elephants and Monkeys, Oh My!

The South County WIC Center’s first book party of the year went on safari. There was no telling what was seen in this jungle as children tried out their pretend binoculars and listened to safari stories. RIF of NOVA Board Members Hazeline Harris and Liz Promen (pictured) helped children choose books to take home and talked to parents about the importance of reading aloud to their young children. A RIF handout in English and Spanish gave parents some ideas about the importance of early literacy.

50 e-books for everyone!!!

To celebrate its
50th year of service, the national RIF organization has partnered with the digital media company
ustyme to launch the Billion e-Book Gift. Starting December 1, 2015 and continuing until December 31, 2016, this program enables anyone to receive a personal library of 50 high quality children’s picture e-books, available in English and Spanish. The ustyme digital learning app transforms tablets, smartphones, and computers into interactive reading devices, allowing children to read from a personal e-book library independently, side-by-side with a caring adult, or remotely with a friend or family member in a live video call using the app. Please go to
www.billionebookgift.org for more information.

Book the date: April 30, 2016

Attention serious and not-so-serious runners (including kids)! Support RIF of NOVA at the "Book it For Books" 5K Run/One-Mile Fun Walk. Mark your calendars for April 30, 2016 to run, walk, and help buy books for needy kids in our area. The event will take place at 8:00 am at
Burke Lake Park in Fairfax Station, VA. Registration begins in mid-January. Check back on our website:
www.rifnova.org.

A lack of academic success contributes to the more than 8,000 high school students who drop out of school every day.

Minorities and children from economically disadvantaged communities are even more at-risk of falling behind.

RIF of NOVA...

Through your generosity, RIF of NOVA provides books for needy children in the City of Alexandria and in Arlington, Fairfax, and Prince William Counties. Be part of this very important "book group!" Since its founding, RIF of NOVA has donated over a million books to underprivileged kids in our area.

Your gift of $50 = 25 books for children in need!

Give what you can...because choosing a book of one's own can empower a child for life.